The San Antonio (Texas) Police Department and local station WOAI News 4 recently teamed up to produce an "active shooter" training video released to companies, schools, and the general public via YouTube.

While other police agencies have created active shooter videos the SAPD video is noteworthy for its neutral stance on firearms, its emphasis on fighting back, and for recognizing that lawful concealed carriers can play a role in stopping a mass killing.

The slightly over six minute video starts with a statement by San Antonio Police Chief William McManus stating, "To be clear, this is not an anti-gun video, and by no means is the information in this video fail proof."

The video includes the now-standard advice to "run" and "hide" from an active shooter, but then acknowledges that, "If there's nowhere to run, and nowhere to hide, be prepared to fight ... if you are with a group organize an ambush style surprise attack and grab anything you can find to hurt the shooter and defend yourself."

The video than shows a well-dressed office worker who, upon hearing the commotion, draws a Glock pistol and moves out of his office. The narrator discusses how a concealed carry permit holder can engage the gunman without endangering innocent bystanders. The section on fighting back closes with Chief McManus saying, "Remember, if you do decide to fight, you'll be fighting for your life, your goal should be to win by any means necessary."

The San Antonio Police Department and WOAI San Antonio News 4 are to be commended for creating such an honest and upfront training video that recognizes that citizens caught in an active shooter scenario are responsible for their own safety and that lawful concealed carry holders are part of the solution, not the problem.

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Rob Reed is a NRA and SigSauer Academy certified firearms instructor and writer in the greater Detroit metro area. He focuses on teaching private citizens firearms use for sport and self defense. He is a graduate of the Michigan State University School of Journalism and has written for newspapers, magazines, and radio. He can be contacted at reedrob1@hotmail.com.